OK, it's a stupid joke, but Steve the grasshopper was stressed out and felt he needed a drink to relax.

The joke itself also is a stress reliever, and it doesn't come with any nasty side effects.

Professional improviser - don't call him a comedian - Chris Crotty of Sacramento's ComedySportz Theater used the joke to discuss the importance of laughing stress away Tuesday at Dameron Hospital with a group of stroke survivors, those affected by traumatic brain injury, and their supporters. They were attending the monthly meeting of CV-RAPS, the Central Valley Recovery, Awareness, Preventing Strokes support group sponsored by Healings in Motion.

"It's really true," said the man who typically wears a T-shirt emblazoned with the words, "I Make Things Up." But he assured his audience he was telling the truth this time.

Making the point that few would argue laughter isn't good for you, Crotty noted that in human evolution, laughter came about as the way to recognize the danger is gone.

He should know. After graduating from high school at the top of his class, earning an electrical engineering degree from Cornell and an MBA from Duke, he went on to study neuroscience and cognitive thinking at Stanford.

His earlier career as a tech market analyst paid him a lot of money but also totally stressed him out.

"It was literally killing me. My weight went way up," Crotty said, explaining it was directly related to the stress he was under. So he turned to improvisation as a way to change his lifestyle and found healing along the way.

As Crotty sees it, laughter is a form of sharing, of making connections. A sense of humor, he said, is often at or near the top of the list of desirable attributes when someone is looking for a mate.

"Part of the reason laughter works, a key component is the element of surprise. Coming up with something that you didn't expect," he said.

People come to his improv shows in Sacramento - he's performed more than 2,000 times - to be cheered up, to break away from the stresses of daily life.

"When you look at laughter, it can come from something that can never happen in a lifetime, like a talking animal or chickens crossing the road. How many chickens cross the road anyway?" Crotty asked. "... Laughter and improv are important for people to be able to explore emotions that are not always possible. There are so many reactions we can have."

Healings in Motion founder Mary Nicholson, who invited Crotty to Stockton, explained to the support group that stress is the No. 1 risk factor for stroke, and people need to be aware of their stress level, most commonly measured through blood pressure.

"There are things you can do to always stay in control of your health. ... Prevention is important for the whole community to know."

With that, the group reviewed the acronym FAST. When a stroke is suspected, those around the victim need to think FAST: F is for Face - look for an uneven smile; A is for Arm - check if one arm is weak; S is for Speech - listen for slurred speech; T is for Time - call 911 right away.

Contact reporter Joe Goldeen at (209) 546-8278 or jgoldeen@recordnet.com. Follow him at recordnet.com/goldeenblog and on Twitter @JoeGoldeen.